Kendall's lamprologus
Lepidiolamprologus kendalli
Also known as Lepidiolamprologus nkambae, Nkambae cichlid
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F (24–27°C)
- pH
- 7.8–9.0
- Adult size
- 6.3 in (16 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 79 gal (300 L)
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- Tankmates with caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Origin
- Lake Tanganyika
- Family
- Cichlidae
Overview
A rock-country ambush predator, best kept as a single fish or a proven pair in a tank built around heavy stonework with real caves. Anything small enough to fit in its mouth is food, so choose companions by size rather than by temperament. A pair will claim a cave and hold a wide perimeter around it. Feed frozen and prepared meaty foods. It takes pellets readily once settled but will always prefer something that moves.
In the wild
Lepidiolamprologus kendalli hunts among deep rock piles along the southern shores of Lake Tanganyika, holding still in cover and taking small fish that stray past. Keep it at 24 to 27 degrees Celsius and pH 7.8 to 9.0 in hard alkaline water, with stacked rock deep enough to give it somewhere to disappear.
Good to know
Lepidiolamprologus kendalli reaches about 16 centimeters and wears a pale body broken by dark mottling, with bright blue spangling through the fins on mature fish. The fish long traded as nkambae is the same species, and FishBase folds both names under kendalli. It is a substrate spawner. Pairs form slowly, which is what makes breeding hard rather than the spawning itself.
Did you know
Hobby and science ran two names for one lurker for decades; kendalli and nkambae turned out to share a single skin.
Common questions
What size tank does a Kendall's lamprologus need?
A Kendall's lamprologus needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH do Kendall's lamprologus need?
Kendall's lamprologus are comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.8–9.0.
How big do Kendall's lamprologus get?
An adult Kendall's lamprologus reaches about 6.3 in (16 cm).
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
- Imperial Tropicals Freshwater fish and inverts bred at a Florida hatchery
- The Wet Spot Tropical Fish Large selection of quarantined tropical freshwater fish, with live arrival guarantee and Next Day Air flat rate shipping to all US locations
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
Keeping Kendall's lamprologus?
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Planning tankmates
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